Musick (Best album of 2011 and other foolish ideas)

Since I'm studying from home, and have been for more or less the last 7 years.
I spent my days listening to music while I'm reading, writing or doing whatever.
This gives me time to listen to a massive amount of new music daily, just too bad that the blog suffers constantly since I don't prioritize it that much.
Anyway, it's due time for some musical tips!

Best albums of 2011, a bit late, but who cares:

Death Grips - Exmilitary Mix Tape

This is the best hiphop album I've heard in my entire life.
The vocal approach (or attack) is far beyond anything else, the spontaneuos use of live or sampled drums by Zack Hill is by far the most exciting beats I've heard.
The sheer harshness, aggresiveness and violent approach is amazing.
I can't even mention how many times I've listened to this album, it would be ridiculous to try.


Cut Hands - Afro Noise Vol 1

William Bennet (noise pioneer from Whitehouse) spent about 4 years making this album and the result is astonishing.
The afro-rhythm inspired noise is pure gold. The voodoo ritualism is imagined as well as the tribal burial rituals and all sorts of primitive tribal ceremonies you could think of. That combined with some very Whitehouse-ish, yet more subtle, noise turns this album into one of the most-listened-to of the last two months.
You could hear hints of what Bennet was planning on the Whitehouse albums Asceticists 2006 and Racket 2007.


PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

It would just be sad to not mention this political and musical masterpiece. PJ does it again, with backing from Mick Harvey on a number of songs.
The best PJ Harvey album since the 90's in my opinion, the balance between the earlier Harvey and the later, softer and more melancholic Harvey is great.


Honourable mentionings:
Wreck and Reference - Black Cassette (2011)
Broken The Dead C/Throbbing Gristle/Sonic Youth-reminding sludge from America.
Kreng - Grimoire (2011)
Jazzy, evil and cynic ambient/noise.
All Ominous Recordings releases, of course!

Best shows:
Swans at Strand (Stockholm, SWE)
The Skull Defekts at Strand (Stockholm, SWE)
Nicoffeine at Schokoladen (Berlin, DE)

New discoveries (or re-discoveries) of 2011:
Sightings
Whitehouse
The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation
ANTIchildLEAGUE